Scholarships and Financial Awards

Overview

RIT College of Science offers scholarships and financial awards for current students. All returning students are invited to apply for internal scholarships, in addition to, the ones they received as first-year students. The following scholarships are available to continuing students with eligibility criteria listed below for each one.

Alumni Endowed Academic Scholarship

Established in 2004, the College of Science Alumni Endowed Academic Scholarship was created to recognize students who demonstrate outstanding leadership abilities.

Call for Applications emailed to all students: February 

Deadline for Applications: March 15 (11:59 pm)

Award Winners Announced: April 30

  • Must be a graduate or undergraduate student enrolled full-time in RIT's College of Science.
  • Must demonstrate outstanding leadership abilities.
  • Must be a student in good academic standing.
  • Must have a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA.

Applicants should submit an essay, no more than 500 words, that includes the following topics:

  • Why do you feel you are qualified for this award?
  • How has your leadership involvement and/or community service impacted upon your own personal development and the enhancement of campus life at RIT?
  • What skills have you utilized in your community service or leadership position(s)?
  • What significant contributions have you been able to make in your service/leadership role? To your organization? To your executive board members or your committee members?

Dr. Andy Langner Endowed Fund

The Dr. Andy Langner Endowed Fund was established in 2011 in memory of chemistry professor Andy Langner to acknowledge student nominees that demonstrate resiliency and tenacity during difficult or challenging circumstances.

Call for Applications emailed to all students: February 

Deadline for Applications: March 15 (11:59 pm)

Award Winners Announced: April 30

Income from this endowment will be used to support the educational experiences of students enrolled in degree programs at the College of Science.. Examples of how the funds may be used include, but are not limited to stipends for students engaged in research, supplies, and equipment for student research, and student travel to conferences. Preference will be given to students who serve as inspirations to faculty and fellow students or who demonstrate resiliency and tenacity during difficult or challenging circumstances. This endowed fund is not for scholarships.

Preference will be given to student nominees who demonstrate resiliency and tenacity during difficult or challenging circumstances.

  • Must be a graduate or undergraduate student enrolled full-time in RIT’s College of Science.
  • Must have at least 1 year remaining at RIT. Must be a student in good academic standing.
  • A resume.
  • A personal statement which describes how the student has persevered difficult circumstances and challenges.
  • A support letter from one faculty member.

John Wiley Jones Award

Each year, one student from each of the five academic units of the College of Science are chosen for the John Wiley Jones Outstanding Students in Science based on their academic achievements, citizenship, and contributions to the quality of campus life.

Call for Applications: February 

Deadline for Applications: March 15

Award Winners Announced: April 30

Students eligible for this award have:

  • Completed their third year of study in a program.
  • A distinguished academic record.
  • Made notable contributions to the RIT community.

Nominations should include supporting documentation such as letters of support, a resume or brief biography of the student, and any other evidence of the student’s qualifications.

Steven M. Wear Endowed Graduate Fellowship

The Steven M. Wear Endowed Graduate Fellowship was established in 2018 to provide graduate student support for College of Science MS and Ph.D. candidates.

Call for Applications emailed to all students: February 

Deadline for Applications: March 15 (11:59 pm)

Award Winners Announced: April 30

Income from this endowment will be used to support educational experiences of graduate students enrolled in M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs in COS (BS/MS students must have the BS portion of the degree certified). Examples of how the funds may be used include, but are not limited to, stipends for graduate students engaged in research, supplies and equipment for graduate student research, and graduate student travel to conferences.

  • Must be a graduate student currently enrolled full-time in an RIT College of Science M.S. or Ph.D. program.
  • BS/MS students: the BS portion of the degree must be certified.
  • Must have at least one year remaining at RIT.
  • Must be a student in good academic standing.
  • A resume.
  • A statement describing how the funds will support and enhance the graduate student experience (stipends, research, travel).
  • A support letter from one faculty member.

Hrishikesh Banerjee Endowed Memorial Award

The Hrishikesh Banerjee Endowed Memorial Award is supported by an endowment established in 2020. The award supports exceptional RIT students enrolled in the School of Physics and Astronomy. Read more about the history of this memorial award.

To qualify, nominees must be a continuing student, enrolled full-time, pursuing a degree in physics, have a GPA of at least 3.0, and not previously received this award.

The School of Physics and Astronomy will select an awardee annually based on the following criteria:

Academic Accomplishments
While the overall GPA of a nominee should be a consideration, academic performance and accomplishments in physics courses should be given more weight in the evaluation of nominees.

Teaching Contributions
Any activities that advance science education should be considered in keeping with Dr. Banerjee's dedication to his students. These activities could include duties as a teaching assistant, tutoring or mentoring other students, volunteering at a local high school, etc.

Scientific Contributions
Undergraduate research accomplishments contribute to the overall advancement of scientific understanding and should be considered, if applicable. However, in keeping with Dr. Banerjee's recognizing a need for materials science, any activities that advance science within the community should also be considered. Undergraduate student nominees should receive preference over graduate students.

In the event there are no strong undergraduate nominees that meet the above criteria, the fund can be used to support an eligible graduate student. If a minimum award amount of $500 cannot be made from the fund, no award will be made for that year.